New York-based Nori, creator of an innovative new iron to press clothes, has raised $4.7 million from unnamed investors in a seed round.
Founded in 2021 by Courtney Toll and Annabel Love, the communications and entrepreneurship students who were sophomore room-mates at Wake Forest University ventured into a rather uncool part of a wardrobe and developed a nifty device that is really cool.
It Began with Morning Frustration
Toll came up with the idea after a frustrating inability to get to work with a wrinkle-less blouse from a cramped New York apartment that offered little wardrobe space for an ironing board.
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“I would instead wake up in the morning, turn on my hair straightener, straighten my hair and then use that same heated device to press out the wrinkles in my clothing,” she told the fashion brand Mestiza in an interview. “I quickly realized that I was not the only one turning to these wrinkle-removing DIY hacks and asked Annabel to join me in identifying a better way,” added Toll, who serves as Nori’s CEO.
Nori’s iron looks like a hair straightener. It is highly portable, weighing a mere 1.5lbs, and does not require an ironing board. Its design enables ironing clothes back and front, and it can reach tiny corners of clothes. With specific heat settings for different fabrics, and a deodorizing steam solution, Nori — which is iron spelt backwards — offers a good alternative to the traditional iron, and a compelling one for travel. Besides the next-generation steam iron, which costs $120, the company has developed a fabric shaver to remove pills and lint.
Forbes 30 Under 30
This year, Nori’s founders made it to the Forbes 30 Under 30. They told the magazine they expect “over $5 million in sales this year,” after signing up partnerships with Nordstrom, Williams Sonoma, and other retailers. Nori’s range of products — are sold at Dillard’s and The Container Store outlets.
